1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to permanent magnet packages, to methods for manufacturing the same, and to methods for transporting permanent magnets.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, strong permanent magnets such as NdFeB-based rare earth permanent magnets have been developed. These permanent magnets are utilized in applications such as head drive devices for hard disk drives, which are computer parts, and in MRI devices, which are devices for medical diagnosis. The industrial fields in which they are being utilized are widening. Along with this, there is also an increase in the volume of magnetized permanent magnets transported from permanent magnet manufacturers to equipment manufacturers and users.
On the other hand, with the development of an information-based society, a lot of information is written onto magnetic recording media. For example, as with floppy disks, magnetic recording technology is also used in items that people usually carry around with them, such as credit cards. These magnetic recording media have a drawback in that they are susceptible to the effects of external magnetic fields. Furthermore, the effect of external magnetic fields on watches and mobile phones that general public carries with him is not favorable.
Polarized permanent magnets generate a magnetic field continuously, while the strength of the magnetic field will change depending on the type, size and shape of the permanent magnet. Thus, there is the problem that magnetic recording media may be destroyed or that electronic instruments may be damaged by a magnetic field that leaks from packed permanent magnets when transporting the magnetized permanent magnets.
When transporting magnetized magnets by sea, a plurality of magnets is packed in a container such as a single wooden packing case. Up to this time, it has been standard practice to pack the individual magnets so as to maintain sufficient space such that they may be separated even if the magnets stick together because of their magnetic strength, and also, to put the individually packed magnets in an even larger container.